Tokyo University Hammer Attack: 8 Students Injured; Attacker Arrested

Eight university students in Tokyo were attacked by a woman with a hammer in their classroom, but thankfully, none of them needed to go to the hospital. The police arrested a 22-year-old woman, who said she was from South Korea, right away after the incident on Friday. Reports say that some students were seen bleeding from their heads. According to a news source, the attack was said to be caused by the woman being upset about being bullied.

A student who saw what happened described how the woman suddenly started swinging the hammer, causing everyone to panic. “I was so scared my hands were shaking,” they said. Hosei University, where the students study, released a statement saying all eight students were treated for their injuries but didn’t need hospitalization. The university promised to help students and staff who were shocked by the event and said they will work to make the campus safer in the future.

Violent acts like this are not common in Japan because of strict laws on weapons. However, there are some incidents of stabbings and shootings. One serious event was when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was killed with a homemade gun in 2022. In a recent past, a junior high school student was stabbed at a McDonald’s restaurant, and a man was later caught for that crime. In January 2022, three people were also stabbed outside the University of Tokyo right before important entrance exams.